There are numerous disparate types of fastener in use today. One particularly successful fastener is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,793,556 in the name of Fildan Accessories Corporation and having the same inventor(s) as the present application. U.S. Pat. No. 6,793,556 describes a front closure for a fastener that is slim, lightweight, practically invisible from the outside of the garment, and that may be incorporated into a brassiere with relative ease. Although very successful and effective, there are improvements that could be made to such a fastener.
For example, although the fastener described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,793,556 is ideally suited as a front closure for a brassiere, it is not particularly suited to many other closure applications, such as a strap fastener for a bra, bikini, or top with interchangeable straps. This is due to the fact that the tensile stress rating of the known fastener is typically much less than 10 kgs and is insufficient for the other purposes. Accordingly, if interchangeable straps are to be provided, a second, different type of fastener must also be used in the garment. This is inconvenient and inefficient from a manufacturing standpoint and may result in an increase in the manufacturing cost of the garment. This could be avoided if the tensile stress rating of the fastener could be increased to a level suitable for use with interchangeable straps as well as front fasteners.
Furthermore, inadvertent release of a fastener can be a source of inconvenience and embarrassment. Irrespective of the benefits of opening up new markets and simplifying manufacturing by increasing the tensile stress rating of the fastener, it is also advantageous to increase the tensile stress rating in any event as it will decrease the likelihood of the fastener becoming inadvertently undone.
In some garments it is desirable to attach the fastener in a reverse orientation, with the closure mechanism against the body of the wearer. This approach provides a very smooth garment appearance, especially when the fastener is sewn or welded to the garment fabric via a thin flap on the fastener ends. However, when the closure mechanism is worn against the skin, a slight motion between the male and female parts may pinch the wearer's skin or hair, causing discomfort.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a fastener that includes locking mechanisms to increase tensile strength and prevent motion between the male and female parts when the fastener is coupled.